Traffic signal for automobiles



July 8. 1924. 500,210

8. H. SKELLY TRAFFIC SIGNAL FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed Aug. 7. 1923 4 -S2 eets-She et 1 STOP n" "H I STO;

July 8', 1924. 1,500,210

B. H. SKELLY TRAFFIC SIGNAL FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed Aug. '7, 1923 FIE E 22 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 July 8 1924.

B. H. SKELLY TRAFFIG/ SIGNAL FOR AUTOMOBILES F i led Aug. 7, 1923 4 Sheets-Sheet, 3

July 8 1924. 1,500,210

B. H. SKELLY TRAFFIC SIGNAL FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed 1923 4 Sheets-s V Patented July 8, 1924.

1 UNITED TATES P T E-Q BERNARD, H. SKELLY, on BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT. a

TRAFFIo SIGNAL FO'R AUTOMOBILES.

Application filed August 7, 1923.] sen a1 n6. 56,159[

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that I, BERNARD H. SKiiLnY, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Bridgeport, in the county ofFairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Traffic Signals for Automobiles; and'I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same;-

This invention relates to a traffic signal for automobiles, but has particular reference to a signal that is carried at the" rear of an automobile and-is operable to give warning to a machine in the rear.

Automobile signals of this sort have heretofore been provided, but they are eflicient only when 'theyare noticed, and there has been nothing in their makeup that would catchthe eye of an oncoming driver, and many drivers would travel in the rear'of another car or would pass many cars,vwithout noticing whether these cars were or were not equipped with traflic signal devices. I

It is the especial: object of this invention to identify the signal with that which is never ignored by an automobile driver, namely, a traffic ofiicer, or, to'be more specifically correct, the image or effigy of a traflic oflicer, and furthermore, to" associate this effigy with a facsimile of the usual standard that bears the notices Stop? and Go.

In further carrying out a replica of a traffic officer and the standard bearing theabove designated notices, the right arm of the efligy is pivoted so as to becapable of swinging outwardly in imitation of vv the usual warning stop signal given by the ofiicer, "and the standard has reciprocatory rotary movements so that it may be turned to expose the Stop or, the Go signal, theforrner being exposed when the arm'of the effigyis swung outwardly, .while-the latter is exhibited only when said "arm isdropped.

, The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention as operated direct from the foot brake, although it willbe readily understood from the description which; follows that. the actual agncy which controls the operation isimmaterial. r

p In these drawings' c t I T Figure 1 is a rear view of an automobile equipped with theinvention;

'vFigure 2 is a horizontal sectional View of the base or platform with the cover partly broken away and showing the operative parts in normal position; c

Figuredis a sectionat the line"3+3 of FigureEZ; f V

Figure' l is a View similar to Figure 2, but showing the position of parts when the signalhas'been operated to exhibit the-warn- Figure 5 is a section at the line5"5' of Figure 4. j Figure 6 is a detail 'rearview of the traffic 'oflicer effigy partly broken away and sec- 'tioned to show'the operation of the signal arm when raised. V

Figure 7 is a detail rear viewof both the traflic officer efligy and the notice bearing standard, said I effigy being partly broken away'and sectioned to Show the appearance of parts whenthe signal arm is lowered, and" Figure '8 is [a section at the line 88 of Fig'ure'7; T Y

Similar numerals of reference denote like parts inthe severalfigures of the drawing. 1 isa'hollow platform or base which is secured to the rear portion of anautomobile in any suitable manner. I 2 represents an image or eifigy ofa traflic oilicer mounted on said base, and having the right arm' 3 pivoted at its upper endwithin the shoulder portion ofthe 'efligy'. While this pivoting of the arm may be effected in various ways, it is preferred to bifurcate the arm as shown'at 4; and to secure these bifurcations to a spoolf5by means of a pin 6 driven through said bifurcations and spool,

8,'thus afiording a pivoted connection which is neat and will permitthe signal arm to swing readily,

The right leg of the efiigy is'hollow,-and

suitable draft 'means, such'as a cord '8, is

tion 9 secured to the base 1 by means of a hollow bolt 10 which is passed through the cover of the base and secured by nut 11, and the cord 8 passes through this bolt out through a bushing 12 that is secured to the inner side Wall of the base, and is secured to a ring 13.

14: is a vertical standard having fixed to its upper end the usual rectangularly disposed notices Stop and Go, and the lower end of this standard is stepped within a rotary bushing 15 and secured rigid therewith by means of set screws 16. This bushing is formed with a large circular upper portion a and a comparatively small circular lower portion 6, and these two circular portions are journaled respectively within the top and bottom of the base 1.

The bushing intermediate these circular portions is square in cross section and is forced through a corresponding opening in a spool 17 to the sides of which are affixed metal cheek plates 18 that extend beyond the spool, so that it will be clear that said bushing, spool and cheek plates are all rigidly secured together.

A suitable draft means, such as a cord 19, is secured in such manner to this spool 17 and then wrapped around the latter for a part of its periphery and finally passed through a bushing 20, secured to the inner side of the base 1, and secured to the ring 13, that a pulling of said ring will simultaneously cause the signal arm of the effigy to be raised and the standard to be turned to expose the Stop notice, while a release of the ring will permit the arm and standard to be returned to normal positions owing to the action of the spring 21, one end of which is attached to the base while the other end is attached to the face of the upper cheek plate 18 near its periphery, and in this connection attention is called to the cutting away of the cheek plates to provide shoulders c, d, which strike the pin 6, fixed inthe base, when the pull on the cords or the release of the latter respectively effect the warning signal and notice and the restoration of parts to normal positions.

The left arm of the effigy is extended and its hand loosely encircles the standard so as to. steady the latter, the effect being to make it appear that the efligy turned the standard when itraised its signal arm.

The ring 13 is connected to the brake rod or any part associated therewith by any suitable draft means, such as a cord 22, so that when the brake is operated the signal arm and standard will be actuated in the manner above described.

If desired, the draft means 22 maybe led over ordinary anti-friction devices, such as pulleys, through the automobile dash and provided with any suitable ring or analogous means convenient for grasping; so that the driver can manually operate the signal whenever he sees fit. f p

When in trafiic crowded streets, the driver of an automobile is constantly operating his brake, and therefore the latter is the most advantageous agent for controlling the operation of the signal. When the brake is put on, the arm of the image is swung outwardly and the standard rotated to expose the notice Stop, and when the brake is relaxed the arm will return to normal position and the spring element will cause the return rotation of the standard so as to exhibit the notice Go.

A traflic officer usually grasps the standard with his left hand and manipulates the Stop and Go signs, while in the present instance, the replica is carried out .by loosely supporting the-standard within the hand of the efligy, the Stop and Go" signs being rigidly carried by the standard, as heretofore set forth.

This carrying at .the rear of an automobile of a traffic signal that is an exact replica of a traffic 'otficer both as to appearance and action, will invariably attract the attention of the driver of a machine in the rear of the signal, and, moreover, the signal is a striking novelty, and its actions are so associated with the familiar raising of the arm and the operation of the instruction notice by an actual traflic officer, that automobile drivers, schooled to obey the officer, are naturally urged to instantly heed the signal.

The particular means shown and described herein for operating the signal arm :and the standard is immaterial, since the effigy itself and the raising of the signal arm and the turning of the standard are the real essential features of the invention, and the system of cords, and their connection with said arm and standard exemplify only one way of providing for the proper operation of the device.

It is unnecessary to showand describe all the ways in which the device may be successfully operated, and the terms cord and draft means used in some of the appended claims are employed in their broadest sense.

If desired, the effigy may be utilized without the standard, although it is preferred to use the two together, since jointly they form atrue and startling duplication of actual traflic regulating means commonly seen in large cities. The usual white light carried at the rear of the automobile for illuminating the registration number will amply light up the eifigy and standard so that the workings thereof will be visible at night, or, if desired, a special light may be'provided, or the effigy itself might be made from some translucent material and a light located therein.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is Y 1. An automobile traffic signal, consisting of an efligy of a traflic ofiicer carried on the rear of the automobile and having a signal arm pivoted at the shoulder so as to be capable of upward and outward swinging movements, a rotary notice bearing standard in proximity to said effigy, the other arm of the latter being extended with the hand loosely embracing the standard, and means under the control of the automobile driver and operatively connected with the signal arm and with the standard for rotating the latter to exhibit the proper notice and for simultaneously raising the signal arm.

2. An automobile trafiic signal, consisting of an effigy of a traific oflicer carried on the rear of the automobile and having a signal arm pivoted at the shoulder so as to be capable of upward and outward swinging movements, a cord secured to the shoulder portion of said arm and led downwardly through an office that opens toward the front of the automobile and is carried by the base of the efligy, a vertical standard j ournaled in said base, and loosely embraced by the hand of the other arm of the efi'igy and carrying at its upper end the conventional notices Stop and Go, draft means attached to'said. standard or an element connected thereto whereby the pulling of this draft means will cause the rotation of the standard, connections between the foot brake of the automobile and said draft signal arm capable of being swung from the shoulder upwardly and outwardly, a vertical rotary standard bearing the conventional notices Stop and Go, and means controlled by the automobile driver for simultaneously operating said arm and standard.

4. An automobile trafiic signal, consisting of the efiigy of a traflic officer carried on the rear of the automobile and having a pivoted signal arm capable of being swung from the shoulder upwardly and outwardly, a vertical rotary standard bearing the conventional notices Stop and Go and loosely embraced by the hand of the other arm of the efig'y, connections between the foot brake of the automobile and said signal arm and standard whereby the application of the brake will effect the simultaneous raising of said arm and turning of said star-(lard, and means for automatically returning the parts to normal position after the brake has been released.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature hereto.

BERNARD H. SKELLY. 

